Unicef ​​concerned about falling vaccination coverage for children around the world

Immunization coverage across the world has declined in 112 countries. 67 million children were totally or partially deprived of essential vaccines between 2019 and 2021. This is what the latest UNICEF report on the subject says. The UN agency which is worried about seeing such a decline. “The world has gone back ten years” she says. Blame it on the Covid pandemic which has disrupted the health system, prevented some families from consulting and reinforced the inequalities that already existed. The fault is also a loss of confidence in vaccination.

>> Covid-19: 67 million children have been at least partially deprived of vaccines due to the pandemic

The debate around the vaccination against Covid has given food for thought to the anti-vaccines. Doubt has settled in some people and in France, this loss of confidence is estimated at more than 11%. Even greater loss of confidence in countries like Korea, Senegal or Japan. Even if confidence in vaccines remains in the majority, this remains a warning signal for Unicef. For the agency, this is all the more worrying since this stagnation comes after the vaccination boom of the 1980s.

The situation is getting worse

Result of this decline in vaccination coverage, the fear of a resurgence of certain diseases with measles for example. One of the most contagious human viruses, health authorities repeat: the situation is getting worse. In three years, it has fallen from 86% to 81% and the number of cases has thus more than doubled in 2022 compared to the previous year. Same for polio, whooping cough or diphtheria.

However, these vaccines save lives, reminds the authorities. Over four million children are saved each year through immunization. We could reach nearly six million if vaccination coverage reaches 90% for certain vital vaccines.